News

The photographer Tõnu Tormis gave the photographic exhibition “On Pärt” to the Arvo Pärt Centre. The exhibition consists of 30 photographs, mounted behind glass, depicting the composer Arvo Pärt from 1978 to 2005.

The Arvo Pärt Centre and composer Arvo Pärt wish to offer heartfelt congratulations to Robert Wilson, the maestro of contemporary theatre, who is celebrating his 75th birthday today.

One of the most significant and beloved composers of our time Steve Reich celebrates his 80th birthday today. Thank you for your music, Steve Reich!

A free concert held at the Arvo Pärt Centre on International Music Day. The trio of Katreen Ristmets (violin), Siluan Hirvoja (cello) and Johan-Eerik Kõlar (piano) performed works by Heino Eller and Arvo Pärt.

On 22 September, the town of Paide opened a music garden dedicated to Arvo Pärt to show its appreciation of the composer's contribution to world and Estonian music, and to mark the location of Pärt's childhood home on the corner of Väike-Aia and Kitsas streets.

International Music Day is celebrated on 1 October. The Arvo Pärt Centre is one of the many interesting places people can visit on that day to listen to live music. The free concert held at the centre on International Music Day will be a performance by the trio of Katreen Ristmets (violin), Siluan Hirvoja (cello) and Johan-Eerik Kõlar (piano). The musicians will perform works by Heino Eller and Arvo Pärt.

In September, the Arvo Pärt Centre became a member of the Estonian Music Library Association (EMLA). “For us, it's very important to be able to exchange specialist information and experience. The Centre will also be a part of a rather large network, through which it's possible to introduce our work on a larger scale, and to distribute our publications,” emphasised Anu Kivilo, Director of the Arvo Pärt Centre.

Arvo Pärt Days, from 2 September until 11 September, will feature the composer's most recent works as well as some older pieces. The opening concert will include the Estonian première of the composer's instrumental work Greater Antiphons, in addition to his works from the 1960s. The world debut of Greater Antiphons took place on 28 May in Los Angeles, where it was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. The birthday concert concluding the Arvo Pärt Days on 11 September marks another significant anniversary – this year, the tintinnabuli style is 40 years old.

In September, ECM will release “The Deer's Cry”, a new album of Arvo Pärt's music, featuring the composer's vocal pieces performed by Vox Clamantis and conducted by Jaan-Eik Tulve. The new album mainly comprises of a cappella choral pieces written since 2000. The album also includes pieces from the 1990s – “And One of the Pharisees …“ and “Gebet nach dem Kanon“.

On 24. - 26. August 2016, the Arvo Pärt Centre will host its sixth series of Film Evenings, showing films that feature Arvo Pärt’s music. For the first time, the makers of as many as two of the films to be shown, David Trueba and Piero Messina, will be in Tallinn to talk about the background to their films and their reasons for their choice of film music.

At the annual Encaenia ceremony held today, Arvo Pärt received an honorary degree in Music from Oxford University. At a ceremony held at the Sheldonian Theatre the University of Oxford conferred honorary degrees on nine distinguished figures from the fields of theology, law, economics, architecture, film, science, engineering and music.

On 20 June, Arvo Pärt was merited the Per Artem Ad Deum Medal from the Pontifical Council for Culture. The Pontifical Council for Culture also awarded the medal to the Polish singer and composer Antonina Krzysztoń and the Italian sculptor and goldsmith Arnaldo Pomodoro.